


Shorts

by amelespotamos



Category: Infinite (Band)
Genre: M/M, i should update this more often, i would change the title but i don't know what to change it to
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-28
Updated: 2017-07-23
Packaged: 2018-04-28 16:23:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 16,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5097254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amelespotamos/pseuds/amelespotamos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yet another collection of Infinite one-shots. I can't help myself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Catch Me I'm Falling

**Author's Note:**

> lab partners: sungyeol/woohyun  
> this got away from me

Sungyeol's eyes slowly blink open and his vision is immediately filled with the white ceiling of the nurse's office. There's a slight throbbing on one side of his head. He winces when he brushes his fingers over the lump right above his right temple. The last thing he remembers is attempting to dissect a fetal pig while trying not to pass out from the sight. Obviously he didn't do a very good job.  


"Does it hurt a lot?"  


Sungyeol feels the bed shift and he pauses in examining his head. When he looks down to the foot of the bed he sees Woohyun looking back at him. His breath catches in his throat at the concern in the other's eyes. He and Woohyun don't actually talk outside of Biology and their in-class conversations are usually only related to the class itself. Sungyeol thinks his stupid crush on Woohyun is to blame for their impersonal relationship. He gets nervous with Woohyun so close to him that he ends up at a loss for any casual or friendly words.  


"Do you want me to get you an ice pack," Woohyun asks despite Sungyeol's lack of an answer. He's already half off the bed and Sungyeol guesses he'd probably get the ice pack even if he said no.  


Sungyeol nods in response, still too confused by Woohyun's presence to say anything. He grimaces at the wave of pain that courses through his head from the motion. Some pain relievers would be more helpful at the moment than ice, but if Woohyun's the one fetching the ice for him he won't refuse it. While Woohyun goes to the front of the office to get the ice pack, Sungyeol sits up in the bed. He props the flat pillow behind his back and attempts to make himself look less like he fought with a tornado and lost. Although it doesn't really matter since Woohyun most likely carried him there in the first place.  


Wooyhun comes back carrying one of those cushion-like ice packs that Sungyeol's sure he's only seen in movies. And maybe he hit his head harder than he thought because he finds that more amusing than it probably is. But the humor dies quickly once Woohyun comes to sit next to him. He watches silently, holding his breath, as Wooyhun gently rests the pack against his head. The numbing cold provides much needed relief from the throbbing lump on Sungyeol's head. He reaches up to take the pack from the other boy, ignoring the slight grazing of their fingers as Wooyhun lets go.  


"What are you doing here?" The question slips out before Sungyeol can think of a better way to phrase it. He's just grateful it came out confused instead of rude. And he is confused because he and Woohyun aren't even friends but Woohyun's eyes are all soft with worry and he even sat and waited for Sungyeol to wake up. That has to mean something, but Sungyeol can't say he knows what that something is.  


"Well, we are lab partners," Woohyun says with a small smile. Sungyeol is probably imagining the color that rises on the other's cheeks. There's no way he's actually blushing. "I should make sure you're okay. And it's a pretty good excuse to skip class."  


"Oh." Sungyeol hopes he hid his disappointment well enough. He might have been hoping for a different answer. But he should've expected this. Because there's no way Woohyun, who's always been friendly enough in class, but doesn't even look in Sungyeol's direction in the hallways, can possibly have feelings for him. He clears his throat and adjusts the ice pack on his head. "Well, I'm fine now," he mumbles while avoiding Woohyun's eyes. He's already embarrassed that he couldn't even handle cutting open a pig; this only makes things worse. "So you're free to leave."  


He expects Woohyun to run as fast as he can out of the room. There's no real reason for him to still be there and his friends are probably waiting for him anyway. But instead they sit on the bed with just a couple of inches of space separating their thighs (that's all Sungyeol can focus on) and a silence stretching between them. Sungyeol still can't bring himself to look at the boy next to him, but he really hopes he'd hurry up and leave so Sungyeol can wallow in the sad reality of a one-sided crush. Or maybe just say something. He finds it odd that Woohyun hasn't said anything yet. He takes the ice pack off of his head, setting it on his other side. His nervous fingers fiddle with the slowly melting cubes. The cold doesn't have quite the same effect on nerves as it does pain.  


"Do you want me to leave?" Woohyun's voice is quiet, almost as if he was talking to himself. When Sungyeol risks a glance at the other he realizes that Woohyun must have been talking to him because he's looking right at him. And it's the kind of look that Sungyeol has only ever dreamed of getting from Woohyun. It makes his heart speed up, the pounding the loudest sound in his ears, and his breath catch in his throat. And he can't seem to look away. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe there's still hope.  


He manages a small shake of his head, not trusting his voice or his brain to form sentences. He can already tell what's going to happen next when Woohyun shifts closer to him and closes the gap between their thighs. He holds Woohyun's gaze as the other slowly leans forward. His eyes have just closed in response to the gentle hand Woohyun places on the back of his neck when the loud clacking of the nurse's shoes interrupt them. Her even louder voice follows shortly.  


"So, how are things looking in here?"  


Sungyeol's eyes shoot open and land on the woman's chipper face behind Woohyun. The other student, with his hand still resting on Sungyeol's neck, is also turned around on the bed to look at her. The nurse doesn't seem at all fazed by their expressions, the smile on her face doesn't falter and her voice carries the same enthusiastic tone as when she first came in. (Sungyeol can't see Woohyun's face, but he assumes he's probably equally as mortified.)  


"I can't vouch for how effective that is for mild concussions," she tells them. "But it might be best if you tested it someplace other than the school nurse's office. Just a thought." And with that she turns around and walks out of the room.  


Sungyeol waits until the sound of her heels fade away before he slouches dramatically in the bed and places the ice pack back on the lump on his head. He squeezes his eyes shut as if that will make the embarrassment (and the blush on his cheeks) go away. "Why is this my life," he groans to himself. The warm press of lips to the tip of his nose reminds him that he's not alone and that he was just inches away from having those lips against his own. When he opens his eyes once again, he's met with Woohyun's (gorgeous) grinning face extremely close to his own. If he passes out again it'll probably be from lack of oxygen because having Woohyun so close seems to have an adverse effect on his breathing capabilities.  


"Do you know how cute you look right now?"  


Sungyeol can only look back at Woohyun in silence. Between his breathlessness and his heart drumming way too loudly, he doesn't think he'll be able to say anything. So he does the only thing he can think of: he grabs Woohyun by the collar and pulls him in to crash their lips together. He doesn't know about Woohyun, but he rather likes that answer.


	2. Shake You Up, Shake You Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> siblings are best friends: myungsoo/sungyeol

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first part of a really long and (somewhat) complicated story. Once I figure out how to organize it, I'll get around to posting it.

The last thing Myungsoo wants to be doing is going over to the Lees' house. It's not that he dislikes the Lee family; generally speaking, they're wonderful. Mr. and Mrs. Lee are always nice and happy to see him. Their youngest son, Daeyeol, treats him respectfully, but not so much so that they can't joke around and tease each other. He even likes the family's dog, Nurungie. The one he has a problem with is Lee Sungyeol, the eldest son. Also known as the bane of his existence.  


There has never been a time when he and Sungyeol got along. Not even as kids, back when they were both the only children in their families, forced to interact by their parents. The adults had assumed, or more like hoped, they would grow out of their dislike and become best friends. They did live next door to each other, after all. But, obviously, that hadn't worked.  


Now, the two tried their best to avoid each other. That, unfortunately, has been proven easier said than done considering their younger brothers are best friends. Myungsoo has had many a good mood ruined by the unexpected sight of Sungyeol's face when he ventures out of his room for a snack and his mother has decided to treat the older Lee brother for reasons Myungsoo can't understand. Or when he has to walk over to the Lees' to give back something Daeyeol forgot at the Kim residence or something Moonsoo forgot to bring with him before going to hang out with his friend. Nothing good ever happens when they're in the same room.  


So, Myungsoo's standing at the Lees' front door, hoping anyone but Sungyeol answers the door, with a Biology textbook that Daeyeol had left at his house the day before. His prayers are answered when the door swings open and Mrs. Lee's smiling face greets him. He smiles back at her, more than a little relieved to not have to deal with the taller boy's snark.  


"You can take it up to him in his room," she tells him after he explains himself.  


Myungsoo nods and steps into the house. Later, he will wonder why he didn't make up an excuse to avoid going inside and potentially running into Sungyeol. But at the moment he doesn't think twice about it. The other isn't even on his mind as he climbs the stairs. That all changes once he reaches the second floor at the same time the bathroom door opens.  


Sungyeol steps out of it with only a towel wrapped around his waist. His skin is flecked with drops of water and his hair is still damp and combed off his face. He's not exactly buff, but there's a lot more muscle than Myungsoo could've guessed might be hiding underneath those t-shirts and button-down shirts the other is so fond of. Myungsoo's eyes practically drink up the two moles by Sungyeol's left collarbone and light flush covering his shoulders and the top of his chest.  


_Oh no, he's hot,_ is the first thing that pops into Myungsoo's head when his brain finally starts working again. It's not the first time he's noticed his neighbor's good looks. He hates the guy's guts, but he's not blind. What is new is that he's actually affected by it; he actually likes it. A lot. And he might hate that more than the person standing in front of him.  


"What do you want?"  


Sungyeol's voice, sharp and full of the contempt he reserves especially for the other, wipes the glazed look off of Myungsoo's face. Myungsoo's eyes snap up to meet the taller boy's. And for the first time ever, he's at a loss for anything to say to Sungyeol. His mind can't think of anything but skin and biceps and prominent collarbones and all of it belonging to the one guy he hates the most.  


"I don't like you." It comes out much higher and a lot less biting than Myungsoo had hoped it would. But it's more to convince himself than anything else. Sungyeol raises an eyebrow at him and Myungsoo can tell he's probably calling him a weirdo in his head.  


With his face burning, Myungsoo rushes past him to Moonsoo's room. He doesn't have to look behind him (not that he was going to anyway) to know that the other boy's eyes are definitely on him. He stays in the younger boy's room a bit longer than necessary as a precaution. Besides the sheer embarrassment, Myungsoo doesn't think he can face Sungyeol without saying something he'll regret. He manages to escape the Lee house without another run-in with the older Lee son, but when he gets back to his room his mind is immediately filled with images of Sungyeol, fresh from a shower, only covered by a towel. And nothing he tries is enough to distract himself from thinking about Sungyeol. In short, Myungsoo's screwed.


	3. The New Guy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> new neighbors: sunggyu/woohyun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ending is weird. Or just incomplete.

Sunggyu is staring blankly at his computer screen when a knock on the wall of his cubicle pulls him out of his daze. He looks over to see an unfamiliar face looking back at him from the adjacent cubicle. His expression remains the same, his already small eyes made smaller by the lingering sleepiness.  


"Who are you?"  


The man doesn't appear put off or intimidated by Sunggyu's lack of greeting or blunt question. He extends an arm into Sunggyu's workspace, a friendly smile on his face. _He must be new_ , Sunggyu thinks. "Hi, I'm Woohyun," he says in a voice just a bit too loud (and happy) for Sunggyu's ears. "I guess we're neighbors now."  


Sunggyu stares at the guy for another moment before reaching out to shake his hand. "Sunggyu." He doesn't bother to lie and say it's nice to meet him.  


Woohyun laughs as he brings his arm back over to his side. "Not much of a morning person, huh?" He tilts his head to the side slightly as he looks Sunggyu over. "It was nice meeting you," he beams before presumably sitting back down into his desk chair.  


Sunggyu stares at the spot where the newbie's head had been, wondering if his exhausted mind had conjured that short conversation. It's really much too early in the morning for this. With a shake of his head he turns back to his idle computer screen. He probably zones out again (or actually falls asleep sitting up) because he's suddenly blinking rapidly with a familiarly chipper voice filling his ears.  


"...know we just met," the newbie—Woohyun—is saying, "and I don't know if you even like coffee, but I figured it might help. So, yeah, enjoy."  


Sunggyu looks from the little steaming cup of coffee on his desk to the man standing rather close in the cramped cubicle. _Is he aware these things aren't big enough for more than one person_ , he thinks. But he isn't actually upset. Now that he's getting a good look at the guy he can see that the other is pretty handsome. And also waiting for a response.  


"T-thank you." Sunggyu clears his throat. He's not sure how to explain that stutter. There must be a good reason for it. "I appreciate it." He gives the newbie what he hopes is a pleasant smile.  


Woohyun returns it with a small smile of his own. The sight alone is enough to wake Sunggyu up completely. "You’re welcome," he says, oddly shy after his enthusiastic introduction. Sunggyu thinks he sees a slight blush coloring his neck, but Woohyun turns away too quickly for him to be sure. "I should actually try to get some work done now. See you around," he bids with a wave thrown over his shoulder.  


It's not until Sunggyu's sure Woohyun is back in front of his own desk that he reaches for the cup. He sniffs at it (it smells like coffee; what else was he expecting?) and takes a tentative sip. Of course, he burns his tongue and subsequently chokes on that tiny sip. His hacking is loud enough to have Woohyun's head popping back up over their shared wall.  


"Uh, are you okay?"  


"Yeah, all good," Sunggyu rasps out. When Woohyun quirks an eyebrow, obviously not convinced, Sunggyu makes a show of taking another sip of his coffee. He thinks he hides the discomfort of the hot liquid on his scalded tongue well enough because Woohyun's eyebrow settles back into its normal position and he sinks back down into his cubicle.  


Once the other is out of view, Sunggyu slouches in his seat. He can't understand why he had felt the need to save face in front of the new guy. It's not like he's concerned with looking cool. There's nothing cool about this job. He looks at the time on his computer, calculating the minutes until noon. His lunch break can't come fast enough.


	4. Private Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> private detective & client: sunggyu/sungjong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think I'll ever write any romantic gyujong.

"Are you even old enough to be in here?"  


To his credit, Sungjong doesn't even flinch. Instead he keeps his eyes on the man and woman sitting in a dim corner on the other side of the bar. The large mirror behind the shelves of booze allow him to look without being obvious. As he goes to take a sip of his lemon drop martini, the drink is plucked from his hand. He finally turns to glare at the man next to him.  


Kim Sunggyu might just be the worst client he's ever had. He's been following Sungjong around all night, taking notes (a little too verbally in Sungjong's opinion) of how the detective does his job and supplying unwanted "constructive" criticism.  


"Drinking on the job, too," Sunggyu tsks as he takes a small sip from the glass. He smiles at the taste before taking a big gulp.  


"Why bother hiring me if you were planning on doing it yourself?" Sungjong just barely remembers to continue watching the pair at the table. He also makes a mental note to tell Howon not to recommend him to anyone else. As helpful as word-of-mouth is for business, he doesn't need the added stress of clients who don't trust him to do his job.  


"I'm just making sure," Sunggyu replies. He downs the last of the martini and Sungjong bites back the whine threatening to come out. He didn't even have a sip of it. "A friend of a friend doesn't mean much when it's Howon."  


Sungjong stays quiet, eyes back on the mirror, because the guy does have a point. He goes back to actually doing his job, ignoring Sunggyu who's flagging down to bartender for another lemon drop martini. He continues to watch as the man and woman slowly move closer to each other, looking less like acquaintances and more like careful lovers. His camera is out and ready while also inconspicuous. He snaps a few pictures of the two leaning closer and closer until finally their lips meet. The kiss is short and sweet and not really the kind people sneaking around share in public. He takes a couple more pictures when they part and go back to talking before tucking his camera back into his jacket pocket.  


"This isn't nearly as exciting as I thought it would be."  


Sungjong groans, having forgotten the other was still there. "That's why you don't need to be here," he sighs. Why did he even say yes to this guy?  


"Not for something like this, I guess." Sunggyu drains the rest of his second martini and slides the glass out of the way of the small envelope he pulls from his pocket. "This is just a warm-up."  


Sungjong stares blankly at the other for a moment. "What the hell are you talking about," he asks bluntly. The envelope is slid in front of him in answer. He watches Sunggyu out of the corner of his eye as he slowly looks inside. He only finds a single sheet of paper inside, the words on it of no consequence to him. He turns fully towards his client.  


"This is the real reason I hired you," Sunggyu explains with a wave of his hand at the paper.  


Sungjong glances at the couple through the mirror only to find that they've already left. It's obvious they weren't very important to begin with, so he doesn't waste his breath bringing them up. "And what exactly am I supposed to do with this?" He's fairly sure he can just walk away if he's not interested. After all, this wasn't part of their agreement. But a part of him feels like he will definitely be interested. A majority of his cases tend to involve people who don't know how to end their relationships any other way besides adultery. That gets boring quickly for Sungjong. Whatever Sunggyu plans on requesting of him must be much more worthwhile than what he'd originally hired Sungjong for.  


"I'm glad you asked," Sunggyu says as he signals the bartender for two more lemon drop martinis.


	5. P.S. I Love You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pen pals: Dongwoo/Sungyeol

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really like how this turned out. (I don't think I say that very often about my stuff.)

Sometimes Sungyeol is grateful to have a roommate like Woohyun. This isn't one of those times.  


"I still don't understand why I have to leave," Woohyun is saying. He has a hand on the door-frame and his feet planted firmly on the ground as Sungyeol tries to push him out of their shared dorm room. "I won't embarrass you in front of your boyfriend."  


Sungyeol gives up trying to move Woohyun (his arms were tired anyway) and leans against the wall next to the door instead. "One, he's not my boyfriend. And two, yeah, you totally would." Woohyun joins him against the wall and they both slide down until they're sitting on the floor.  


"Yeah, I would," Woohyun laughs. It's already a regular occurrence for him to answer Sungyeol's phone and give some outlandish excuse as to why Sungyeol didn't pick up. And he always manages to photograph Sungyeol in his most embarrassing moments. Sungyeol is still trying to get him to delete all of the pictures he has saved on his phone. "But how are you guys not dating when you talk to each other every day?"  


There's a beat of silence before Sungyeol responds. He's thought the same thing, but never had the courage to say it out loud. He and Dongwoo have known each other practically their whole lives. Despite their slight age-gap, Sungyeol has always felt like they both get each other. Dongwoo is fun-loving and kind-hearted and wiser than he lets on. While Sungyeol is more grounded and serious, but also in need of someone to care and watch out for him. (A role which Dongwoo had gladly assumed that has now been mostly taken over by Woohyun.) They've been through good and bad together and somewhere along the way Sungyeol fell in love with Dongwoo. He hadn't realized it until Dongwoo left for college on the other side of the country and it felt like he'd taken Sungyeol's heart with him. Loneliness and longing had been expected following the departure of his best friend, but the ache in his chest wasn't. Then Dongwoo came back for winter vacation and Sungyeol felt the light returning to his life. And that's how he knew that he had feelings for Dongwoo; that he loved him. But Dongwoo doesn't feel the same way. Sungyeol is sure of it. He's just a friend, a little brother even, to Dongwoo and that's it. "Because that's what best friends do when they live far away from each other."  


Woohyun snorts. "No, that's what people in long-distance relationships do."  


Sungyeol is saved from having to come up with another poor excuse when his computer makes a noise alerting him to an incoming call from his long-distance friend. With his mood lifted at the prospect of seeing Dongwoo's face, Sungyeol goes back to shooing Woohyun out of the room. The older boy allows himself to be ushered out of the room (shoved, really), stopping at the threshold to give Sungyeol his unsolicited advice. "If you really like him, it's worth taking a shot. Maybe he's waiting for you, too."  


Despite his track record of disregarding every supposedly helpful thing that comes out of Woohyun's mouth, Sungyeol finds himself considering confessing to Dongwoo. Aside from having his heart crushed into a million pieces what does he have to lose? At least he'll have someone to blame if it doesn't work out. "I'll think about it," he tells Woohyun, who gives him a cheesy thumbs-up. He shuts the door in his face and rushes over to his desk. Thankfully, Dongwoo is still waiting for him and Sungyeol doesn't waste any time answering the call. He runs a hand through his hair to tame it in the second it takes for the video to connect even though Dongwoo has seen him in worse shape.  


"Sungyeollie!" Dongwoo's cheery voice booms through the laptop's speakers. He's wiggling in his seat from excitement with a smile stretched across his face. "What took you so long," he whines, bringing his face unnecessarily close to his webcam.  


Just seeing his best friend's smiling face warms Sungyeol's heart in the most melodramatic way. Dongwoo has a way of cheering him up without doing anything (or even knowing that Sungyeol needed cheering up). Ironically in this case, Dongwoo is actually the cause of Sungyeol's gloominess as well as the cure. Sungyeol tries not to let it show as he smiles back at Dongwoo. He wouldn't want him to worry. "Hey, Dongwoo. Yeah, sorry about that. Woohyun was being annoying."  


Dongwoo's laugh is as loud as his voice, making Sungyeol laugh along with him. "You're so mean to him," he scolds. "You shouldn't make him leave whenever we talk."  


Sungyeol's only half-joking when he says, "Maybe I want you all to myself." He's rewarded with another one of Dongwoo's bright laughs. He squeezes his legs onto his chair with the rest of him and tucks his knees under his chin. "And now that I do, tell me about your day. I want to hear everything." So Dongwoo proceeds to tell Sungyeol all about his day, not leaving out a single detail. He starts with when he woke up (late, as usual) and ends with calling Sungyeol for their daily video chat. Sungyeol listens attentively to every word. There's never a dull moment in Dongwoo's life as he's always full of energy and moving around like a ball of sunshine. It makes for interesting conversations and stories.  


"What's up with you," Dongwoo asks once he's done. He's leaning close to the camera again, his chin resting on both of his fists. Even through the computer screen his eyes seem to pierce through Sungyeol. "You look sad."  


So he'd noticed. Of course he noticed. Dongwoo notices every change in Sungyeol's mood; he can practically read him like a book. Sungyeol looks away from Dongwoo for the first time since they started talking. This is a perfect opportunity for him to tell Dongwoo how he feels. If anything, the other will be extremely nice about turning him down.  


Dropping his legs back down to the floor, Sungyeol finally looks back at Dongwoo. He's staring at Sungyeol like he's trying to read his mind to figure out what's wrong. "I'm not sad," Sungyeol starts. He continues over Dongwoo as he tries to argue otherwise. "I'm not. There's just...there's something that's been on my mind for a while. I wish we could talk about this face-to-face, but I don't suppose you'd want to wait until then, would you?" He's a little hopeful that Dongwoo will say yes; he might be having second thoughts about confessing. Dongwoo shakes his head instead, a small smile on his lips that doesn't reach his eyes. Sungyeol takes a moment to choose his next words. His fingers nervously slide along the edge of his laptop and wipe away specks of dust.  


"Do you remember the first time you left for school," he asks. He doesn't realize how quiet it had gotten until his voice is filling up the room. "How I cried so much and hugged you so long that you started joking about how you'd have to take me with you?" Dongwoo nods slowly, recalling the incident, but unsure of its relevance. "At the time, I didn't really understand why I didn't want you to go. I mean, yeah, my best friend was going far away and that sucked, but it also meant I couldn't see you or talk to you whenever I wanted to. I felt like I was all alone and like there wasn't anything that could make me happy again. And then you came back and everything was okay. Because my favorite person was back. And that's when I realized that I loved you—that I was in love with you. Hearing your voice and seeing your smile is the best part of my day. You mean so much to me; more than I've ever shown or told you. Because I was too scared to let you know how I felt. But I guess not so much now—well, maybe a little."  


With his speech finished, Sungyeol watches Dongwoo for his reaction. He hasn't stopped looking at Sungyeol since he started talking. There's a mixture of emotions on his face that Sungyeol tries to discern. He sees surprise and confusion and what he hopes is happiness. It takes a couple minutes before Dongwoo finds any words.  


"What are you trying to say?"  


They both know what Sungyeol is trying to say, but it wouldn't hurt to say it again. Sungyeol makes sure his eyes are locked with Dongwoo's as he says the words he's been longing to say to him. "I love you."  


Dongwoo's smile is the brightest Sungyeol has ever seen in all his years of knowing him. He's back to wriggling in his seat. "I love you, too," he says, giggling at the disbelieving look on Sungyeol's face. "I didn't say anything before because I wasn't sure if you felt the same, but, yeah... I kinda wish you were here so we could do that whole slow-motion first kiss thing they do in dramas."  


"Would there be background music?" Sungyeol can't help but play along. It hasn't quite sunk in just yet that Dongwoo loves him back, that he's _in love_ with him. He doesn't know what he'll do when it does.  


"Of course," Dongwoo laughs, "And maybe we could arrange for some flower petals or rain."  


Sungyeol is about to list another drama cliché when the door to his room bursts open. Woohyun stalks in, eyes alight and fixed on Sungyeol. "What the hell are you waiting for," he nearly shouts. Both Sungyeol and Dongwoo stare at him in shock.  


"What—were you eavesdropping on me?"  


Woohyun waves off Sungyeol's anger like it's a fly buzzing around his head. That's not what's important right now. "Obviously. And I promise not to make fun of you for, like, maybe the rest of the week if we leave right now."  


"Where—what are you—why—" At a loss for words, Sungyeol glances at Dongwoo to see how he's handling things. There's a bemused smile on his face as he watches the two men on the screen in front of him. Sungyeol thinks that might be a good sign. "You want us to drive four hours for a kiss?" That's not a question Sungyeol ever thought he'd ask.  


Woohyun rolls his eyes. "I've gone further for a lot less."  


Sungyeol looks back at Dongwoo one more time to make sure that they've all agreed to such a crazy plan. "If you don't go, I will," Dongwoo vows and Sungyeol doesn't doubt that he will.  


"Don't move," Sungyeol says, pointing a finger at his laptop. He stands up and immediately sits back down again. "I mean, you could move a little," he amends. "Like, you could meet me outside or whatever." He gets up a second time only to sit down a second time. "But don't go right now. It's pretty chilly and I don't want you to catch a cold because of me." If Sungyeol had been about to add something else Dongwoo would never know. Woohyun grabs onto Sungyeol's ear and lifts him out of his seat by it.  


"Will you come on? We don't have all day." Sungyeol bats away Woohyun's hand and goes around the room in search of shoes and a jacket, all the while grumbling about his jerk of a roommate and rubbing his sore ear. In the meantime, Woohyun takes a seat in Sungyeol's recently vacated chair and starts to question Dongwoo on the hotness of the girls at his school and how well he knows them.  


They get to Dongwoo's school in three and a half hours (there might have been some speeding involved) and even though there's no rain or shower of flower petals, Sungyeol thinks their first kiss is perfect.


	6. Don't You Know Who I Think I Am?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> mistaken identity: sungyeol/woohyun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was on a bit of an wooyeol kick when I wrote this because I was watching High School: Love On at the time. Initially I was going to go with donggyu, but yeah. The ending's a bit rushed.

"I'm so sorry I'm late!"  


A man, out of breath and wide-eyed, drops himself into the seat in the booth across from Woohyun. The latter looks up from the little notebook he'd been scribbling song lyrics into. He takes in the sight of the stranger: red plaid shirt with the sleeves pushed up, side-parted dark hair, a handsome face. Woohyun wonders if Dongwoo is secretly a psychic. (Okay, maybe he hadn't predicted this specific guy would appear, but there has to be more than coincidence at work if a gorgeous person shows up only moments after his friend suggests that Woohyun might be inspired to write about love if he actually experienced it.)  


"You wouldn't believe the day I've had," the guy continues, oblivious to Woohyun's stunned silence. "Every time I thought it couldn't get worse, it did. It's like the universe has it out for me today."  


Woohyun just stares at the stranger. He's pretty sure he's never met him before. He would definitely remember that face.  


"Oh, gosh. I haven't even properly introduced myself, have I?" The guy looks at Woohyun as if he's finally seeing him. He extends a hand across the table and smiles. "I'm Sungyeol. It's nice to finally meet you. Sorry for talking about myself so much."  


"Um, I'm Woohyun." He shakes the other's hand hesitantly. He still isn't sure what's going on. But he's starting to think the guy might be mistaking him for someone else.  


Sungyeol's grip tightens. "Woohyun," he asks, his brow furrowed in confusion. "I thought—just a second." He releases Woohyun's hand and reaches into his pocket. Pulling out his phone, he taps on it a couple times before making a distressed sound. He looks up at Woohyun and then back down to his phone. "Oh my God. It got worse."  


Woohyun finds himself smiling slightly; his brain finally choosing amusement as his reaction. There seems to be something incredibly cute about the look of horror on the other guy's face.  


"I'm sorry. I thought you were someone else. So, yeah, I'm just gonna go crawl under a rock somewhere." Sungyeol stands up, making to leave, and Woohyun is almost too distracted by long thighs hugged by tight black jeans to stop him from walking out of the restaurant.  


"Wait." Woohyun stands up and reaches for Sungyeol's arm even though the other hasn't gotten further than two steps. He lets his arm fall back to his side when Sungyeol silently turns to face him. (Woohyun has to look up to meet his gaze, but he finds that doesn't chafe his ego like it normally would.) Underneath the panic written all over his face, there's also curiosity. Woohyun takes that as a good sign. "You don't have to go." He doesn't know why he's asking this complete stranger to stay. (Well, maybe he does know and all of those reasons are standing in front of him right now, eyebrows raised in surprise.) "You're already here," he finishes lamely. He sounds like an idiot. This might have been a bad idea.  


Sungyeol stares at him for another moment before slipping back into the booth. He looks up at Woohyun silently, expectantly. Woohyun settles back into his seat just as quietly and they stare at each other for a bit. Without the confusion and obliviousness, the air between them is just full of awkwardness.  


Sungyeol's smile had been nothing short of perfect and Woohyun wants to see it again. So he tries to push aside their shared weirdness and start a conversation. "Why don't you tell me about how the universe is conspiring against you?"


	7. Cat Got Your Tongue?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> cat/dog runs away and other person finds it: sungjong/sungyeol

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't have anything to add to this.

"So... Is this your cat or..."  


Sungyeol snaps out of his daze to focus on the guy in front of him. His mouth opens and closes a couple times before the words come out. "Uh, yeah, she's mine."  


The guy holds out the little hairless cat towards him, but Sungyeol only stares dumbly at the other. Five whole seconds pass before Sungyeol's brain processes that the guy is trying to give him back his cat and he should probably do something instead of just standing there like an idiot.  


"Oh, sorry," he says as he reaches to retrieve his Jureumie. She quickly makes herself comfortable in his arms, leaning into him and letting her eyes fall shut. When he looks back at the guy, he has a hand on his door and a polite, but not necessarily friendly, smile on his face. Sungyeol takes that as his cue to leave. "Um, thanks for, uh, my cat." He walks away without waiting for a response. He'll probably just end up embarrassing himself some more anyway.

 

So Sungyeol might have a little crush on his next door neighbor. And he might be using "accidentally" losing his pet cat as an excuse to talk to him. As bad as it sounds, he thinks it might actually be working for him. That's if the smile his neighbor gives him when he answers the door is anything to go by.  


Sungjong (he had learned the guy's name the second time he'd gone searching for Jureumie) is standing in the doorway with the cat cradled in his arms and the most dazzling smile Sungyeol's ever seen on his face.  


"I'm starting to think someone has a crush on me," he says as he hands the cat over to her owner. Sungyeol nearly drops her in his surprise.  


"W-what," he stutters, wincing slightly at the nails digging into his skin as his pet tries to save herself. He's been hoping Sungjong would realize that the whole "lost pet" thing is just an excuse, but he didn't actually prepare for it.  


Sungjong gestures at the cat, now hanging onto Sungyeol's shoulder. "I meant Jureumie." Sungyeol doesn't miss the way the other's lips tremble slightly as if he's trying not to laugh.  


"Oh, right, the cat. Of course." Somehow he always manages to embarrass himself. "I guess she really likes you." Like owner, like pet.  


Sungjong leans against the doorframe and crosses his arms (and Sungyeol nearly loses his mind from the sight). "You know, if you're interested in me there are much simpler ways to show it."  


Again, Sungyeol is caught off guard, but he manages to keep a good hold on Jureumie this time around. His eyes are wide as he looks back at Sungjong. The other holds his gaze coolly, his mouth still twitching with restrained laughter. "What makes you think I'm interested in you?" Sungjong gives him a pointed look that makes Sungyeol want to shove the words right back into his mouth. Subtle wouldn't be the word to describe his efforts. Even if it took four meetings until Sungjong brought it up. Sungyeol shifts in his spot, unsure of what to say or do. Did his neighbor like him too? Is he supposed to ask him out now? What if he says no? Or worse, yes?  


Almost like he's reading Sungyeol's mind Sungjong says, "I would love to go out with you sometime." The sincere smile on his face assures Sungyeol that this is really happening.  


"Really? I mean, yeah, sure, we should go out sometime. Totally." Sungyeol's a second away from screeching from joy and doing a stupid victory dance. But that's much too embarrassing for anyone else but Jureumie to witness. "I should go now, but I'll call you—well, maybe not. I'll just—"  


"Send your cat with a note?"  


It takes a moment for Sungyeol to get the joke. He lets out a small laugh, sensing this was just the beginning of Sungjong teasing him about his wooing methods. But that just means it worked, so he doesn't think he'll mind.


	8. Untitled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> writer & editor: sunggyu/sungyeol

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't going to put any romance in this, but by the end I figured why not.

"Hello," Sunggyu calls into the darkened apartment. He waits at the threshold for an answer, wondering idly about the distance from this apartment building to the nearest train station. If he leaves in the next ten minutes he'll probably make it just in time.  


He'd heard that Lee Sungyeol was rather unpredictable. That his past editors had trouble keeping up with him and his mood swings. But since he's also one of the company's bestselling authors Sunggyu hopes those rumors are just exaggerated. Especially for his sake considering that he's now this guy's editor.  


Against his better judgement (who leaves their door unlocked?), Sunggyu enters the apartment. The light spilling in from the hallway barely reaches into the room. Sunggyu feels along the wall until his hand hits a light switch. When the lights turn on he finds that he's standing in the author's living room. It's sparsely decorated, but with a great view of the city. It's underwhelming, in a way, considering the rumors.  


Sunggyu wanders to the kitchen, momentarily forgetting his reason for being there. This room is bit more on par with the image he has of Lee Sungyeol. A sink full of dishes, countertops littered with food wrappers, a nearly empty fridge. He almost pees his pants when he closes the fridge door and sees a tall man standing behind it. The dark circles under his eyes and his disheveled state tell Sunggyu that this must be the writer he was looking for. He's much younger than the shorter man had expected. (As much as he's heard about the other, he's never actually seen what he looks like.)  


"Who are you?" The fact that he sounds more confused than angry helps calm Sunggyu's erratically beating heart.  


The editor wipes his sweaty hand on his pants before extending it. "I'm Kim Sunggyu, your new editor." When Sungyeol only stares at him he continues. "I know we're not officially set to meet until tomorrow, but I wanted come and introduce myself personally because, uh, well, this is my first time actually getting to edit and I wanted to make a good first impression, but I probably just look like a psycho, just waltzing through your door—which was unlocked, by the way—and then going through your stuff—I swear that's not a habit of mine, I was just—"  


Sunggyu's words are cut short by Sungyeol's hand covering his mouth. He looks up at the author, his small eyes double their size in his surprise.  


"Uh, sorry," Sungyeol says as he moves his hand from Sunggyu's face and lets his arm fall back down to his side. "There were a lot of words coming out of you at once. Oh yeah, I'm Sungyeol, but you already know that." He gives a small smile and Sunggyu has enough presence of mind to return it.  


In the silence that follows, the author looks around the kitchen as if seeing it for the first time. He clears his throat before saying with a laugh, "As you can see, there's a reason why I'm a writer instead of a housewife. I swear it's not like this all the time."  


"Just when you're writing," Sunggyu supplies for him.  


Sungyeol nods, the small smile back on his face. "Speaking of writing, since you're here do you think I could run a couple of ideas by you?"  


Thoughts of trains and getting home before midnight flit through the editor's head. He only intended to introduce himself (and maybe see what he was getting himself into). But Sungyeol seems nothing like the rumors made him out to be. And this is what he's been waiting to do for the past three years since he was hired. Sunggyu nods to himself as he makes up his mind, but then remembers there's another person in the room and they're supposed to be having a conversation. "Uh, sure, that's—um, I'd really like to hear what you have to say."  


If Sungyeol notices the awkwardness Sunggyu can feel oozing off of himself, he doesn't say anything. He only smiles wider, showing more gums than teeth, before turning away from the editor ( _his_ editor).  


Sunggyu stares after him, his mind still stuck on the blinding brightness of the author's smile. He suspects the spark of excitement in his chest might be from something other than his job. Maybe the new job title will prove to be more beneficial than he first thought.


	9. The Way You Stole My Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> partners in (literal) crime: myungsoo/woohyun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woohyun and Dongwoo are the criminals, but the romance is between Woohyun and Myungsoo.  
> This turned out way longer and much more emotional(ish) than I intended. I should give a bit of backstory considering this story starts in the middle of it. Dongwoo and Woohyun are conmen who are plotting to steal Myungsoo's money by having Dongwoo pretend to date him. (I don't really know how exactly they would steal his money, but yeah, I might have stolen the idea fom Heartbreakers.) Myungsoo and Woohyun used to have a thing until Woohyun left him to go con people with Dongwoo. And I should mention that at the end of this Dongwoo isn't jealous, he's just angry at Woohyun for screwing up their job.

The bartender places Woohyun's third rum and coke in front of him with a small smile. He nods his thanks to her, but doesn't return the smile. On any other day he would probably flirt with her and charm his way into a free drink and maybe even into her bed. But today isn't the day for that. Her smile wanes at the lack of response. Woohyun takes a sip of his drink and ignores the woman's presence until she leaves for the other side of the bar. To his credit he does feel a little bad about it. Maybe if there's time after they're done he'll come back. A warm hand on Woohyun's shoulder pulls him from his thoughts. He looks over to see Dongwoo smiling at him. There's someone standing just behind him, but Dongwoo's head blocks their face.  


"There's someone I want you to meet," Dongwoo tells him. His tone is so cheerful, despite being fake, that Woohyun almost believes him. "This is—" he starts, pulling the man to stand next to him.  


"Myungsoo," Woohyun finishes for him. Dongwoo frowns in confusion, but Woohyun doesn't pay him any attention. He can't look away from the other man in front of him. It's either dread or excitement settling heavily in his stomach. Or a mixture of both. When Dongwoo had told him about their target, he hadn't imagined it could be him of all people. Especially since his partner only referred to him as Kim (which made things feel less personal). Maybe this is karma getting back at him. "What are you doing here?"  


"I should ask you the same thing," Myungsoo answers, just as visibly shocked as Woohyun.  


Dongwoo lets out a nervous laugh. "I take it you two know each other?"  


"Something like that," Woohyun mumbles before taking a large gulp of his drink. If there was ever a good time to get completely hammered, now is definitely it. He looks up when Myungsoo scoffs at him. The other stands stiffly next to Dongwoo, a look of disbelief on his face.  


"Um," Dongwoo laughs again, short and forced, and takes a step back. "I think I should give you guys a minute. It seems like you have some things to talk about."  


Woohyun's out of his seat in no time. The last thing he wants is to talk to Myungsoo. He was too much of a coward to talk to him the first time around and he hasn't gotten any better. "It's fine," he tries to tell his partner, but Myungsoo talks over him.  


"Thank you," he says, turning to Dongwoo. He leans in and places a light kiss on Dongwoo's cheek. Woohyun ignores the stab of jealousy he feels at the gesture. But he won't deny he is a bit relieved that Dongwoo doesn't move to kiss him back and instead pats him on the shoulder before walking away.  


The relief is short-lived, though, because Myungsoo turns back to him with cold eyes. "Do you want something to drink," Woohyun asks, avoiding his stare, as he takes his seat.  


"No." Woohyun knows he deserves the harsh tone. He still can't look at him, but he's sure Myungsoo's eyes have never left him. "What I want," Myungsoo starts and Woohyun doesn't know if the tremble in his voice is from anger or tears. (If he let himself look at him he could find his answer, but he _can't_.) "Is for you to explain how you can show up out of nowhere, sweep me off my feet, make me fall for you, make me fall—" he falters, hesitating on the words. And Woohyun still can't look at him. "Make me fall in love with you. Make me feel like you're the best thing that ever happened to me and then one day decide that it's over. And you don't even come to talk to me. You just leave a stupid note telling me you 'can't do this anymore' and expect me to understand. If you can explain that to me that would be wonderful."  


Woohyun downs the rest of his drink, welcoming the burning of the rum going down his throat. He's always felt terrible about the way he ended things with Myungsoo. Leaving hadn't been easy and he knows he had the option to stay, but he did leave and not very gently. He doesn't expect Myungsoo to forgive him and he doesn't think he deserves it. But he can't risk blowing his and Dongwoo's cover (assuming they're going to see this thing through). "I... I had something to take care of."  


Myungsoo scoffs again. "What's that supposed to mean?"  


Woohyun finally brings himself to look at the other. He doesn't look as angry as he expects. "Look, the truth is I'm not a good guy. I'm not a fall-in-love-and-live-happily-ever-after kind of guy. I'm just an asshole who didn't have the nerve to break up with you face-to-face. You have Dongwoo now." Woohyun tries not to think about how his partner's going to do the exact same thing to Myungsoo that he did. "Obviously you've moved on, so let's just forget the past and, I don't know, be friends or something. Or you can stay mad at me and keep hating my guts."  


Myungsoo finally looks away from him. His eyes are cast down at his hands that are gripping at the hem of his shirt. He doesn't seem angry anymore. Biting down on his lip, he seems more nervous. "I haven't," he says quietly enough that Woohyun almost thinks he hadn't said anything at all. He speaks up before Woohyun can say anything. "I haven't moved on. I tried... I was trying. With Dongwoo. But it's not—I'm not over you."  


The sounds of everyone else around them fill in the silence that forms between the two of them. Woohyun can't say he had expected that confession from Myungsoo. There had been a lot of things left unsaid, but he had thought that by now Myungsoo would have left what they had in the past. Less than an hour ago Woohyun had thought this was just another job where he and Dongwoo would trick some rich sap out of thousands of dollars. And now he's considering throwing it all away because he might actually be in love with that same rich sap. To call the turn of events unexpected would be an understatement.  


He doesn't let himself think about his next move. It's probably ( ~~definitely~~ ) a bad idea. He leans forward in his seat, stepping a foot on the floor to balance himself, bringing a hand up to rest on the back of Myungsoo's neck. Myungsoo looks up seconds before their lips connect and his eyes widen at the suddenly close proximity. Before Woohyun can close the distance between them, a shooting pain in his hand has him nearly falling off his stool. He looks up to see that Dongwoo is the cause of the pain. The hand that had been on Myungsoo's neck is now in his partner's (incredibly strong) grip and twisted at an uncomfortable angle.  


Dongwoo wears the same fake smile as before, but the glint in his eyes has turned deadly. "Woohyun." The sweetness in his voice turns Woohyun's stomach. "I think you have _a lot_ of explaining to do."


	10. You Know Me Better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hair stylist/make-up artist & actor/model: hoya/sungjong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have more important things to be working on, but oh well.

"Is Lee Howon actually nervous?"  


Howon opens his eyes slowly. There's a fog of hairspray around him that he's grown accustomed to. He looks at his reflection first in the salon mirror, mostly for reassurance that he really is there preparing for the biggest night of his life. Then his gaze travels up to the man behind him. He's known Sungjong for the three years his career has been steadily blossoming. When they first met Howon had thought Sungjong was a rookie actor like himself or possibly a model what with his sharp jawline and impressive height. But to Howon's surprise Sungjong turned out to be the one behind the salon chair rather than in it.  


It hadn't taken long for them to grow close. They were both newbies in their respective fields and it seemed natural to form a camaraderie because of that. They had given each other support and encouragement as well as tough love when necessary. Now, Howon wouldn't hesitate to call Sungjong one of his closest friends.  


"It's been known to happen," he replies coolly. His voice is the only part of him that's calm, though. Despite his best efforts, his leg hasn't stopped bouncing since he sat down. His mind and hands are restless. All of the voices in the room talking at once is like the annoying buzz of a fly right by his ear. The only thing keeping him from pacing the floor or just leaving entirely is the feeling of Sungjong's hands in his hair. It's familiar and comforting to have the younger man's delicate fingers combing through his hair in a deliberately slow rhythm. (Sungjong may already be done styling his hair, but Howon hasn't been paying enough attention to actually know.)  


"Is it because you don't think you're going to win?" The blunt way Sungjong asks the question is expected. The younger man tends to be matter-of-fact about most things. It's a welcome trait in a friend for Howon when he wants an unbiased opinion.  


Howon takes a second to think of how to answer. His eyes rake over his immaculate tuxedo and carefully coiffed hair. He'd opted for a natural look with his makeup, wanting to show as much of his real self as possible. "I don't really expect to win." He looks back up at Sungjong. The other's soft gaze meets his through the mirror. "I just want tonight to be perfect."  


"It could still be perfect even if you don't win."  


"I know that." Sungjong raises an eyebrow at Howon through the mirror. "I _do_ ," he insists. Howon is a perfectionist. He works himself to the bone (almost literally) to make sure everything he does satisfies his high standards. Sungjong says he pushes himself too much; that he'll push too far one day. But Howon doesn't think he'll break so easily. He's confident he won't. Despite that, Sungjong never wastes an opportunity to force Howon to take it easy. (Howon supposes he should be grateful for his friend's concern.)  


Sungjong's hands leave Howon's hair to rest on his shoulders. "I know I've said this a hundred times before," he starts, his voice even with the slightest hint of admonition. "But it doesn't seem like I've gotten through to you yet, so I'll say it again." He bends down until his face is right next to Howon's and holds his gaze. "There's no such thing as perfect. It's okay to be good enough. Just the fact that you were invited, that you were nominated for the first time in your career, that's worth celebrating. You should be proud that you've made it this far. If you win, it shows that everyone recognizes your hard work, but not winning doesn't necessarily prove the opposite. It doesn't mean that no one thinks you've done well."  


"It just means that someone else was better."  


Sungjong tightens his grip on Howon's shoulders and his eyes flash dangerously. Howon winces slightly, but doesn't look away from Sungjong. "Not everything is a competition and not every competition means something," Sungjong says. Howon is competitive by nature. And he likes to win. While it fuels his ego, Howon also seeks out competitions as a form of validation. Winning lets him know that he is as good as he thinks he is; as he wants to be. And losing tells him that he needs to work harder.  


"I'll try to just enjoy the night," Howon appeases his friend. He knows Sungjong won’t let him leave the salon without promising at least that much. "No matter what happens."  


Sungjong straightens his back and smiles the kind of smile that says Howon won't like what he has to say. (As opposed to the one that says he doesn't quite believe Howon, but he'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Howon has seen that one quite a few times.) "I know you'll enjoy it. Especially since you're sitting next to Eunji."  


Despite himself, Howon's eyes immediately search the mirror's reflection. She's sitting on the other side of the salon, chatting with a couple of other actresses and models and not at all aware of him ( ~~weirdly staring at her~~ ). He looks back up at Sungjong with feigned ignorance. "What does she have to do with anything?"  


Sungjong's smile only grows. "Why don't you tell me?"


	11. Cupid, Draw Back Your Bow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> greek god & roman counterpart: myungsoo/woohyun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one got so far away from me, but surprisingly it's not the longest story in this collection. So in this story, Myungsoo is Cupid, the Roman god of love, and Woohyun is Eros, the Greek god of love. They go by their god names in this rather than their actual names because I figured that would make more sense. I'm going to continue it in a separate story because I kind of wasted most of the story on Sungyeol and Myungsoo meeting (because I'm weak for myungyeol; even in a platonic, don't-really-like-each-other kind of way) and then Woohyun shows up at the end (I'm still not over blondWoohyun, so that's a thing here) and it feels very incomplete. And I didn't get to the hoyeol at all. I really like how this turned out, though. Enjoy~

Sungyeol's always been unlucky in love. At first, he had felt like it was a cruel joke. He isn't the guy that gets the girl (or guy). Or at least not for very long if he does succeed. He either likes the other person too much or they don't like him enough; he can't win either way. It's depressing, really. But by now he's come to accept his fate. He's not cut out for love.

That doesn't stop him from trying, though. Which explains why he's in the unfortunate situation he's in now. And why he's standing in front of a fountain about to make a ridiculous request from it.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Sungyeol tosses the coin he'd found on the floor into the clear water. He mouths his one wish (more like a plea) as it joins dozens of other coins at the bottom of the fountain. _Please make Hoya notice me._ He almost expects something amazing to happen when he opens his eyes. Of course, nothing does. People still pass by, in their own worlds, the sky is still blue and clear, and Sungyeol is still the same.

With a sigh, he adjusts the strap of his messenger bag and turns away from the fountain. His trip home is as uneventful as most of his day had been. The subway is annoyingly crowded, leaving him squashed between a smoker and a guy who smells like he's done nothing but sweat all day. The odor lingers even after he gets out of the subway car. He's already peeling off his clothes by the time he reaches his apartment door. His skin feels itchy like the stench is just crawling on him. He needs a shower before anything else.

It's safe to say Sungyeol probably scrubs off a layer or two of skin trying to get the smell of cigarette smoke and sweat off of his skin. He's a bright shade of pink when he steps out of the shower. But at least he's clean now. He has a towel wrapped haphazardly around his waist when he walks out of the bathroom and hears movement in his living room. Standing in the short hallway that leads to his bedroom, he contemplates putting on clothes (or at least some underwear) before investigating the strange sounds. If it's an intruder he should at least be able to defend himself without having to defend his modesty as well. In the end, he chooses the plunger from behind the toilet as his weapon as he approaches the living room in only the towel.

When he rounds the corner that opens up into the larger space, he sees someone sitting on his couch. With the stranger facing away from him, he can only see the back of his head. But at least he has the element of surprise. He approaches the back of the couch slowly, his bare feet silent on the hardwood floor. "Who are you," he asks when he's only a couple feet away. He holds up the plunger in case he might need it.

Sungyeol expects the stranger to jump to his feet, startled and maybe combative. Instead, the man turns around to look at him and says, "Finally. What took you so long? Did you fall in?" The man's dark brown hair is almost long enough to cover his eyes, but it definitely doesn't hide the fact that he's probably the most beautiful man Sungyeol's ever seen. Even the disinterested look he's giving Sungyeol is attractive.

"...What?" It sounds like the man had been waiting for him. Which is impossible when Sungyeol's never even seen the guy before tonight. (He would remember a face like that.) "I wasn't—I didn't—" He stops himself from answering the man's (most likely rhetorical) questions. He doesn't have to explain himself to the person who _broke into his home_. "Do I know you?"

That brings a smile to the man's face. "No," he answers simply. He gets up and comes around the couch to stand in front of Sungyeol. The other takes an automatic step back. "Not personally. You should've at least heard of me, though."

Sungyeol lowers the plunger, confusion more pressing than fear at the moment. "How could I have heard about you? I've never even seen you before."

Put out by the response, the man sighs. "What are they teaching in schools these days," he mutters to himself before fixing his eyes on Sungyeol. "I'm Cupid, the ancient Roman god of love."

Sungyeol looks the man up and down, taking in his features as well as his black sweater, black jeans, and black shoes. "You don't look very Roman. Or Cupid-like."

"Cupid" sighs again and places his hands on his hips. "Well, I don't look like _this_ all the time. And I figured when in Rome—ah, I guess it should be Seoul instead. Anyway, this is just a temporary vessel."

"Temporary vessel. Of course." Sungyeol would laugh if he didn't find the whole thing ridiculous. "And why did you break into my apartment?"

"I didn't break in," the other snorts. "I didn't even use the door."

"Of course you didn't."

"You don't believe me, do you?"

"What gave it away?"

"Cupid" stares at Sungyeol for a moment, almost like he can't tell if the other's being sarcastic or not. In the end he shrugs it off and walks around Sungyeol towards the kitchen. Like a puppy, Sungyeol follows after him. He should be more cautious of this stranger that somehow managed to get into his home. Especially when the man is claiming to be a god of all things. But Sungyeol supposes if the other man wanted to hurt him or steal from him, he would've done so already.

"You still haven't told me what you're doing here."

"Helping you, obviously." The man's tone is dry and even with his head inside the fridge Sungyeol can tell the other is rolling his eyes. "You made that wish, didn't you? To get Hoha to notice you?"

"It's Hoya, actually," Sungyeol corrects him. He steps further into the room, moving around the open refrigerator door to get a better look at the so-called Cupid. "How do you know about that?"

"Ooh, you have chicken. I haven't had that in ages." Pulling out a take-out container, "Cupid" shuts the fridge with his foot and walks over to the microwave. Against his better judgement, Sungyeol goes to one of the cabinets and takes out a plate for the other to put the leftover fried chicken on. (Why is he showing hospitality to an intruder?) The man sends him a grateful smile before pouring the contents of the container onto the plate. He gets as far as putting the plate in the microwave before he pauses and turns to Sungyeol. "How do you work this again?"

Sungyeol stares, speechless, at the other man. "You've never used a microwave before?"

"I'm out of practice."

"Tell me how you know about my wish first," he bargains.

"I heard you."

"From all the way up on Olympus?" Sungyeol does still remember _some_ of the things he learned in school.

"Cupid" narrows his eyes at him. "You know; you should be more grateful that I personally came to help you. Gods don't make house calls." His face softens into a slight pout. "And you should be more afraid too. I might be a lesser god, but I'm still powerful."

In all honesty, Sungyeol hasn't been afraid of the other since he first saw him in the living room. The other man doesn't exactly strike him as someone to be feared. "You're the god of love," Sungyeol says, raising an eyebrow. "How scary can you be?" He leans over to start the microwave before the other man can respond. "Don't move," he instructs, holding up his forefinger. The guy bats it away. "I'm gonna go put some pants on."

With that he leaves the room, stopping at the bathroom to replace the plunger. When he gets to his bedroom door he swings it open without a second thought. The last thing he expects to see is a man lying on his bed. Maybe it’s because he’s had a long day or maybe he’s seen weirder things, but rather than panic Sungyeol feels like he might be dreaming. First the weird guy on his couch and now this blond man who seems to have mistaken Sungyeol’s bed for his own.

"Who are you?"

The blond on the bed opens his eyes slowly. He’s not as strikingly gorgeous as Cupid, but he still manages to make Sungyeol feel self-conscious. He sits up, scratching his head and groaning slightly. (Sungyeol suddenly remembers the towel he's still wearing.) "What took you so long," the new guy asks through a yawn.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know we had an appointment in my bedroom."

"We can do it anywhere; it doesn't really matter to me."

Sungyeol's hand tightens on the towel. He can feel his cheeks as well as his chest turning redder by the second. "E-excuse you?"

"Oh my gods, not this guy."

Jumping at the sudden voice, Sungyeol turns slightly to look at his first intruder. The other is chewing on a drumstick with a disdainful look aimed at the blond on the bed. Sungyeol glances at the second man before turning back to Cupid. "You know him?"

Cupid nods. "Eros. He's practically my other half."

"What do you mean 'practically'?" The blond—Eros, apparently—appears to be fully awake now. He stands up from the bed and approaches Sungyeol and Cupid. "I _am_ your other half. Your equal." When Cupid continues eating without a care for the shorter man, Eros turns his attention to Sungyeol. "You must be Sungyeol." He holds his hand out for a handshake. Sungyeol accepts it purely out of confusion. Eros shakes his hand briefly before bringing Sungyeol's hand up to his mouth and placing a lingering kiss on the back of it. "I'm Eros, god of love and sexual desire." His eyes hold Sungyeol's, sending a wave of warmth rolling down the other's body.

Sungyeol pulls his hand from Eros' to cross his arms over his bare chest. "There's two of you?"

"Unfortunately," Cupid sighs. "And I'm the only one who thinks with my _brain_."

Eros scoffs and steps closer to him. "I'm still older than you." His tone is full of warning, but also challenging, like he wants the other to take the bait.

Sungyeol clears his throat. It's awkward being in the middle of the tension. "Um, can I put some clothes on now?"

The other two men (he's not so sure that they really are men, though) end their staring match to look at him. Eros rakes his gaze over Sungyeol's whole frame, a smirk playing on his lips. "You don't have to on my account." His face twists in pain when Cupid takes ahold of his ear and drags him out of the room by it. For a supposedly all-powerful god, he whines like a prepubescent child.


	12. Return to Sender

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> mail keeps coming to the wrong address: hoya/sunggyu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to have to change the name of this collection with all of these long stories I keep writing for it. I'm still surprised I managed to finish this in a couple days when I've started so many things I have no idea how to continue or finish. Although the pairing is hogyu, there's a bit more woogyu in this than I anticipated. They're just friends, though. I'm planning on writing more to this because I think Sunggyu deserves a chance to redeem himself after the end of this.

"Who the hell is Lee Howon and why do you have so much of his mail?"

Sunggyu pauses in toeing off his shoes to glance at where Woohyun is leafing through the small pile of envelopes. He's been meaning to do something about that, like send it to the right address or return it to the post office. He keeps forgetting, though, and now he has a bit of a collection. "I think he's my neighbor," he replies with a shrug.

Woohyun looks at him with a smirk. "So you're not actually leading a double life?"

"I spend half of my days with you. When would I have time to live a double life?" Sunggyu finally finishes taking off his shoes and moves past his friend to get to the living room.

Woohyun follows closely behind him, still holding the envelopes. "The other half, obviously."

"I'm asleep for the other half."

"Maybe you're sleepwalking."

Stretching out on the couch, Sunggyu turns on the TV with the remote. "That doesn't make any sense."

"Of course it does," Woohyun insists. He drops the stack of envelopes onto the coffee table before sitting on the couch (and Sunggyu's legs). "What doesn't make sense is you keeping some guy's mail for no apparent reason."

"There is a reason: I'm too lazy."

Woohyun snorts. "Yeah, that's why." Resting his elbow on the back of the couch and his head on the palm of his hand, he fixes Sunggyu with another smirk. "I bet he's hot. Does that make you nervous?"

"I've only seen him for, like, a second," Sunggyu responds, keeping his focus on scrolling through the channels. "And that was when he first moved in two months ago." As odd as it sounds, Sunggyu really hasn't seen much of his next-door neighbor. They seem to be living completely separate lives. They’re rarely awake or at home at the same time. He sometimes even forgets that there's someone living next to him. And then he hears music in the middle of the night, low bass and words he only occasionally understands seeping through the wall. Or he'll be in the middle of pulling on his shoes in the morning and the soft sound of his neighbor's door opening will come through the space at the bottom of his own.

Sunggyu would never admit it to Woohyun, but he gets a little lonely sometimes when he's by himself in his apartment. So it's reassuring, in a way, to know there's someone close by. Even if he never actually sees or talks to that person. He just likes feeling like he's not alone.

"I think I know what I need to do," Woohyun says, nodding decisively.

"Get the hell off of me," Sunggyu suggests. He wiggles his legs a bit in the hopes of prompting the other to get up. Woohyun only shakes his head.

"No, not that—well, kind of."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Instead of an answer, Woohyun (finally) stands up. He picks up the stack of envelopes and Sunggyu spends a moment wondering why he would need those before he realizes Woohyun isn't heading towards the kitchen. (He'd been silently hoping his friend would cook for him.) Woohyun is actually going back to the front door. It takes Sunggyu another moment to connect the dots, but when he does he nearly falls on his face as he scrambles off the couch.

Woohyun's still in the foyer when Sunggyu reaches him and the older man doesn't waste any time trying to keep him there. He stands in front of the door, blocking Woohyun's way. "Don't you dare," he warns him.

"It's for your own good." With that, Woohyun uses his hip to try to push Sunggyu out of the way as he attempts simultaneously opening the door. He manages to open it a little bit, but then Sunggyu pushes back and the door slams shut. Woohyun lifts his arm over his head when Sunggyu reaches for the envelopes. He's not at all tall enough for it to be effective, so he uses his other hand to push at Sunggyu's face. While Sunggyu sputters and curses at him, Woohyun keeps at it until the other is out of the way of the door. He swings it open and rushes out onto the porch with Sunggyu right on his heels.

They both freeze, Woohyun with the envelopes clutched to his chest and Sunggyu with a handful of Woohyun's shirt, when they notice Sunggyu's neighbor standing in front of his own door. He seems to have been in the middle of unlocking his door when he stopped to stare at the two of them. After a moment of silence, Woohyun speaks up first.

"Are you Lee Howon," he asks Sunggyu's neighbor.

The guy glances at Sunggyu before looking back at Woohyun. "Who wants to know?"

Sunggyu's almost completely sure Woohyun doesn't know the meaning of the word embarrassment. In fact, it's probably not even in his vocabulary. With a grin that Sunggyu can only describe as devilish, Woohyun slaps the stack of mail to Sunggyu's chest and pushes him towards the other man. "He does," Woohyun says. He squeezes Sunggyu's shoulder when his friend tries to flee. _Work with me here_ , the look he sends Sunggyu seems to say. His eyebrows dip as his grin becomes strained.

Sunggyu sends him a look right back, his eyes narrowed and mouth in a straight line. _I'm going to kill you after this._

"Good luck with that," Woohyun whispers to him before hurrying back into Sunggyu's apartment. Although he shuts the door, his ear is most likely glued to the other side.

Sunggyu shifts awkwardly in front of his neighbor. In his haste to stop Woohyun he'd forgotten to put shoes on and now he's barefoot on cool concrete. He can't imagine what this other guy must think of him.

"Uh, you were looking for me?"

Bringing his eyes up to meet his neighbor—Howon's, Sunggyu mentally curses. Damn, Woohyun had been right. The guy is kinda hot. Dark brown hair parted down the middle, thick eyebrows, a sharp jawline. He's only wearing jeans and a gray t-shirt, but Sunggyu thinks his biceps add a nice touch to the outfit. Clearing his throat, Sunggyu considers the least creepy way to explain himself. "Yeah, well, I've, um, I've been getting some of your mail." He holds out the envelopes for Howon to take. Hopefully he doesn't notice how shaky Sunggyu's hand is.

"That's a lot of mail." It's not exactly an accusation, but Sunggyu still feels his face (more like his whole body) go red. Howon accepts the mail from Sunggyu, his expression unreadable.

"It's been happening for a couple weeks now." Sunggyu feels the need to defend himself. He doesn't want his neighbor to think this was intentional.

Howon starts flipping through his returned mail, a tiny, almost nonexistent smile on his face. Sunggyu can't tell if he believes him or not. "Well, it's mostly junk," Howon concludes once he reaches the bottom of the pile. His minuscule smile grows when he meets Sunggyu's eyes again. "I'll try to sort this out, but let me know if you get any more."

"Like, put it in your mailbox?" Howon gives him a funny look and Sunggyu realizes a moment too late that that's not what his neighbor had meant. (He's also certain he hears a muffled groan from the other side of his front door.) "O-oh, right. I'll, uh, let you know." Sunggyu swears he's not always so dense. Or awkward. "I'll just come by and, you know, tell you." _Oh my God, stop talking._ Sunggyu can't tell if he thought the words or Woohyun screamed them at him through the door, but either way he takes the advice.

Howon's still looking at him weirdly. "I guess I'll see you around then," he says, though it comes out a bit like a question.

Sunggyu only nods, lest he make an even bigger fool of himself. He'll probably die of embarrassment after this and his only regret will be that he never got the chance to kill Woohyun for putting him in this situation in the first place.


	13. Home is Wherever I'm With You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> you were the only one that offered to help me move in: dongwoo/sunggyu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should really change the name of this collection. I keep getting carried away and it ends up over 1k words. That's not very short, is it? So here's some donggyu that I wrote in about a week (well, most of it was written in the last couple of days). It's another one of those kinda-sorta-not-an-au fics, which really just means I'm vague on the where and when. Also, I still suck at endings, so excuse my poor excuse for one here.

Sunggyu scoffs at the picture Myungsoo's posted of himself and Sungyeol. They're at an amusement park of all places with ridiculous headbands on as they pose in front of a Ferris wheel. "Doctor's appointment, my ass," Sunggyu mutters, staring daggers at Sungyeol's gummy smile on his phone's screen. He scrolls through Myungsoo's timeline and finds even more pictures (some of which include Woohyun, that traitor). He'd asked them for help moving into his new apartment and they had been quick to give excuses. Hoya and Sungjong hadn't even responded in the group chat so Sunggyu assumes they must be together doing whatever it is they do together. (He doesn't ask.) And Dongwoo... He's the only good one. He had been the first (and only) one to offer his help for Sunggyu's move.

After nearly two hours of riding the elevator up and down with more boxes than Sunggyu had realized he had, they're finally done bringing in all of Sunggyu's things. Thankfully, most of the heavy stuff had already been carried in by professionals the week before. All Sunggyu'd had to do was fill the apartment with his own possessions. Admittedly, Dongwoo is the one who did most of the heavy lifting, but Sunggyu would like to think he exerted himself quite a bit as well. Which is why he's currently splayed out on the couch that's set in the middle of the room for the time being. With one last glare at his phone he switches the screen off and looks over at the entrance to the kitchen. Dongwoo had offered to get the two of them something to drink. That had been about five minutes ago; Sunggyu wonders if the other had gotten lost in the other room.

"Are you making the cups yourself too," he calls into the kitchen. He could get up to see what Dongwoo is up to, but that would require getting up and walking.

Dongwoo's signature laugh floats out of the kitchen. "I had to find them first and then wash them," he yells back. (Sunggyu does recall hearing rummaging and water running.) A moment later he appears in the doorway. "Do you want water, juice, or tea?"

"Whatever you're having is fine." A wide smile breaks out on Dongwoo's face and Sunggyu finds himself smiling back, worryingly speechless. Once the other man disappears from his view, Sunggyu picks up one of the decorative pillows on the couch and presses his face into it. He's such an idiot. And it's all Dongwoo's fault. If he wasn't so nice and sweet and perfect Sunggyu wouldn’t turn to mush from something as simple as a smile. He presses his face further into the pillow as a fresh wave of embarrassment washes over him. Why does he have to have such a huge crush on Dongwoo? Why is Dongwoo so oblivious that he hasn't noticed by now?

"What are you doing?"

Dongwoo's standing in front of the couch when Sunggyu lifts his head. He has two mismatched cups in his hands and a cutely perplexed look on his face. Clearing his throat and sitting up straight, Sunggyu tries to sound casual as he explains himself. "Just trying to accept the fact that I'm on my own again." He'd never thought he'd miss having roommates; especially messy and loud ones like Dongwoo and Sungyeol. But now all of the space he has seems like too much. He’d gotten used to sharing and now he’s all alone.

"Don't worry," Dongwoo assures him. He sets the cups on a nearby cardboard box and sits down next to Sunggyu. His hand rests comfortably on the older man's thigh, his fingers gently squeezing. "I'll come visit you when you get lonely."

That sounds like both the best and worst things that could happen. On the one hand, the idea of getting to spend time with Dongwoo, just the two of them, makes Sunggyu happier than he would've expected it to. Probably because Dongwoo is the one who brought it up first. But on the other hand, he's kind of always lonely when Dongwoo's not around. If Dongwoo's serious about visiting him then he might as well just move in and save himself the time because Sunggyu is sure he'll end up calling the other man over nearly every day. And he hates how selfish that makes him seem and how he knows Dongwoo wouldn't complain or tell him no outright if he really did ask him to come over on a daily basis. Dongwoo's too nice for his own good. Even though a part of him wants to, Sunggyu can't take advantage of his friend like that, especially when he can't even admit his feelings for Dongwoo without breaking out in a cold sweat.

"I think I can handle it on my own," he says softly. As Sunggyu had hoped, Dongwoo doesn't seem bothered by the rejection. He pats Sunggyu's thigh before reaching for their forgotten cups. Sunggyu eyes the thick green liquid warily. It looks incredibly healthy; he didn't know he had anything healthy in his fridge. "What is this exactly?"

Dongwoo gulps down the drink in one go as Sunggyu grimaces. "It's good for you," he replies once he's done.

Sunggyu highly doubts that and he starts to say as much when Dongwoo lifts the cup Sunggyu's still holding onto, tipping it so the green sludge comes up to the rim. With his mouth hanging open Sunggyu has no choice but to drink whatever Dongwoo's concocted. He ends up downing it all at once since Dongwoo keeps tilting the cup. It's not as bad as he'd anticipated—actually, it's really good. He didn't know green-colored drinks could taste so good.

"Don't you feel healthier already," Dongwoo asks as he stands up with their empty cups.

"As long as you don't tell me what's in it," Sunggyu replies. Dongwoo's laugh fills up the room as he leaves it. When he returns to his seat Sunggyu doesn't waste time laying his head in Dongwoo's lap. (It's a fact that Dongwoo has a very comfortable lap; that's not Sunggyu's bias speaking. Well, not entirely. Woohyun's a close second, but Sunggyu won't ever tell him that because he'll just get all smug about it.) Dongwoo dips his fingers into Sunggyu's hair, his nails gently scratching the older man's scalp as he combs through the dark brown strands. Sunggyu sighs and lets his eyes fall shut.

This is his favorite part of being with Dongwoo: how comfortable they are with each other. After all these years it just comes so easily, so naturally. That's probably how he fell for Dongwoo in the first place. The natural progression of their relationship made way for his feelings about his friend to become deeper. They started as acquaintances then they grew close enough to be friends and now... Well, they're probably still friends in Dongwoo's eyes. But Sunggyu hopes they could be more, he wants them to be.

"My offer's still on the table."

There's a fond, almost loving, smile on Dongwoo's face when Sunggyu opens his eyes to look up at him. Sunggyu's breath catches in his throat for a second. He doesn't think Dongwoo's ever looked at him like that before. "What... What was your offer?" His brain might be short-circuiting at the moment, or just stuck on the warmth in Dongwoo's eyes. (He knows Dongwoo's always adored him, but this is _different_.)

"To keep you company when you're lonely," Dongwoo answers, his smile growing into a grin. His fingers are still and tangled in Sunggyu's hair.

Sunggyu really doesn't know what he did right to deserve someone as wonderful as Dongwoo in his life. He couldn't possibly turn him down a second time. "I like you."

That isn't what he meant to say. And by the looks of it, Dongwoo is caught off guard as well. "Uh, I like you, too?" He sounds confused, like he thinks Sunggyu's trying to reject him again, but he doesn't understand how he plans on getting to that.

Now that he's started, though, Sunggyu feels like he should keep going. "No," he says as he sits up to face Dongwoo. He's already admitted his feelings; he just needs the other man to realize it. "I mean I _like_ you. A lot. Maybe even too much. I have for a while now, but I wasn't sure if you felt the same way. Or if it was a good idea to like you in the first place. Because we lived together and we saw each other all the time and if it didn't work out it would be awkward between us and we'd still be living together and seeing each other all the time and I'd hate for us to stop being friends because—" Sunggyu's little speech is cut short when Dongwoo takes a hold of Sunggyu's face with both of his hands. He stares at the other, wide-eyed and expectant.

"Has anyone ever told you, you talk too much?"

"A couple times."

Dongwoo chuckles quietly before he brings his face closer to Sunggyu's. His eyes are closed when their lips meet while the older man's are still completely open. But how can he close his eyes when Dongwoo is kissing him? In real life. For real. The kiss lasts only a few seconds, probably because Sunggyu doesn't react. Dongwoo pulls back, letting his hands drop into his lap, and watches Sunggyu's face carefully.

"...Oh."

"Oh?"

"It's a good 'oh'," Sunggyu assures Dongwoo, who lets out a relieved sigh.

"Well, that's good." The next time he leans in, Sunggyu is waiting for him. He wraps his arms around Dongwoo's neck to bring him closer. Sunggyu doesn't know much about perfect kisses, but he would like to think this counts. When Dongwoo pulls away again, it’s only to say, "I like you too much, too."

"Yeah, I kind of figured as much."


	14. Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> news anchor & meteorologist: sunggyu/myungsoo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can’t believe I haven’t updated this since last year. I’ll try to write more for this soon. Maybe. So I’ve wanted to write meteorologist!Myungsoo since I watched Jealousy Incarnate because to me that job seems to fit him somehow. I was going to go about it in a different way, but then I saw this prompt and this happened. I need to stop saying I’ll expand on my drabbles because it’s taking me too long to actually do it. I would like to write more for this, though.

"We've talked about this, Sungyeol," Sunggyu sighs for what feels like the hundredth time. The smile he sends the receptionist falls immediately once he turns toward the elevators. "I can't mention your restaurant on a broadcast unless something happens there." He rolls his eyes at Sungyeol's response as he reaches out to press the up button for the elevator. "I don't care if customers get to see your face all day. That's not news. Look, I'm getting on the elevator now. I'll call you later." Sunggyu ends the call before his friend can raise his blood pressure any more. It's hard to believe he's been friends with Sungyeol for over ten years when Sunggyu spends most of his time wishing he didn't know the other man.

The elevator is thankfully empty when it opens and Sunggyu wastes no time getting on and hitting his floor number. As the doors start to close, an arm suddenly appears in the narrow space, causing the doors to open again. The annoyed look Sunggyu starts to shoot whoever interrupted his peaceful ride up to his desk freezes on his face once he recognizes who it is. He becomes incredibly interested in his shoes to avoid meeting eyes with the one person capable of making him nervous. (After his mother, that is.)

The first time Sunggyu saw Kim Myungsoo was on his mother's TV. He'd gone down to visit her and she'd had the local news on. As he'd been about to change the channel the weather report had come up. Myungsoo's smiling face had recited a forecast that Sunggyu still doesn't remember and it had been love at first sight. (He hates the cliché, but it's unfortunately true.) He'd been equally thrilled and terrified when he'd learned that the weatherman would be transferring to his station.

Their first face-to-face meeting isn't a memory Sunggyu likes to think about. He'd made a fool of himself not just in front of Myungsoo, but also a few of his seniors. His reputation might’ve recovered, but he doesn’t think his ego ever will.

"Announcer Kim?"

Sunggyu doesn’t realize he’s being addressed until he feels a light touch on his shoulder. When he looks up (because of course the other is handsome _and_ tall), he finds Myungsoo’s strong gaze fixed on him. Feeling very literally tongue-tied, Sunggyu can only raise his eyebrows in question.

"I-I said I watched that report you did yesterday," Myungsoo replies. His hand is still resting on Sunggyu's shoulder, but the other man doesn't see the need to point it out.

"Ah, yeah..." Sunggyu ducks his head in embarrassment. If it was anyone else he wouldn't hesitate to start ranting (he's been told that what he does best). With Kim Myungsoo, though, it's a different story. The meteorologist fills his stomach with butterflies and his head with childish daydreams; both of which Sunggyu is way too old for.

Myungsoo's hand slips from his shoulder as the elevator comes to a stop on Sunggyu's floor. The smile on his face shows off his trademark dimples. "I liked it. They should let you do more stories like that."

Sunggyu mumbles out a thank you before rushing out of the elevator. He's not used to feeling so shy around someone he likes. He's usually more confident and proactive. Sungyeol would say this is a good thing—he's always going on about how Sunggyu needs someone who'll take him down a few pegs. Sunggyu just wishes he could talk to Myungsoo without looking or sounding like an idiot.

He doesn’t get very far away from the elevator before Myungsoo calls out to him. The weatherman is standing in front of the doors, keeping them open, and if Sunggyu didn’t know any better he’d think the other was nervous. "Um, I’ll see you around, then," Myungsoo asks. Not only must Sunggyu’s eyes be playing tricks on him, but his ears must be as well. Because Myungsoo actually sounds hopeful. But that can’t be right.

"Y-yeah," Sunggyu assures him. _I really hope so_ , he thinks to himself. Even though they haven’t done any broadcasts together, there’s no doubt they’ll run into each other again at some point. And with Sunggyu’s luck it’ll probably be before the end of the day.


	15. Untitled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> accidentally swapped phones: hoya/woohyun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a habit of being really vague while I'm writing because I have it all in my head but I forget that it's all in my head and I haven't written it down yet. So, basically, this is kinda supposed to be a spy AU where Hoya is the spy and Woohyun is the civilian caught in the middle. As per usual, the ending is abrupt and unresolved. Maybe I'll write more for this; I already have a title in mind.

"Don't move."

Woohyun freezes at the low voice behind him. There's something hard pressing against his lower back that he's almost entirely sure is a gun. He's never been mugged in his life, but today seems to be the day that everything goes wrong for Woohyun. From the moment he woke up (late) to now, Woohyun has had the worst luck. So of course being held up at gunpoint should be the cherry on top of the worst day of his life.

If it were any other day Woohyun would be terrified. He would rush to give the mugger whatever he wanted and pray to leave unharmed. But after getting off the train at eleven at night after having missed his stop and facing a good thirty-minute walk back to his apartment, he's just plain tired. He doesn't even have the energy to be scared. Or to think before he spins around, catching the stranger by surprise, and grabs the other's wrist. He blocks the guy when he reaches out his free hand to grab at Woohyun's neck. Taking his attacker's other wrist, Woohyun backs him up against a nearby pillar and slams the hand holding the gun on the weathered brick until the man drops the weapon. He dodges a head-butt, but is unprepared for a knee to his stomach. Woohyun loses his grip on the man as he stumbles back holding his stomach and trying to catch his breath. The man goes for his gun, but someone else beats him to it. There's a moment of silence as the two of them look up at the newcomer, waiting to see whose side he's on. He's dressed inconspicuously in a black hoodie and dark jeans with a baseball cap sitting low on his head.

"You know, that was actually impressive," the new guy says conversationally. He doesn't seem at all surprised or fazed by the scene in front of him. "And you saved me some time."

Woohyun doesn't realize the guy is talking to him until he pistol-whips the first guy, knocking him out cold. He takes a few steps back when the second guy (his savior?) approaches him. "Who are you," he asks, wincing as he tries to stand up straight. There's definitely going to be an ugly bruise in the morning.

The guy flashes him a toothy grin, showing off his sharp-looking canines. "We'll get to that, but first," he pauses to pull something out from the pocket of his hoodie. It takes Woohyun a second to realize it's a phone. "I think this belongs to you."

"Um, no?" Woohyun knows for a fact that his phone is in his pants pocket. It's been there the whole day except for the couple of times it was in his hand. He's starting to doubt that this guy is one of the good guys. He did show up out of the blue after all. The guy presses the power button on the phone and turns it to show Woohyun. On the screen is a picture of a brown, curly-furred puppy. Woohyun recognizes the animal immediately. His friend had put his pet as the lock and home screen wallpapers (as well as hid little pictures of the puppy all over Woohyun's apartment) as a prank.

The grin on the guy's face turns into a smirk. "Um, yes," he shoots back teasingly.

Woohyun chooses not to believe the obvious truth. Pulling out the phone from his own pocket, he turns on the screen. He gets a black background with the time in bright white numbers. "How," he wonders to himself.

"NIT Café. Six o’clock. You bumped into someone."

As the words sink in, the memory comes back. Woohyun remembers the brief encounter; a knock of shoulders and the clatter of phones on the ground. It had all happened so fast that he didn’t even get a look at the other person’s face. "That was you?" The guy nods, holding out the phone for Woohyun to take. After they exchange the devices Woohyun checks the phone again to make sure it really is his.

"You should put some ice on that," the guy says.

For a second Woohyun thinks he’s talking about the phone in his hand. But then he realizes the other man means his stomach. "Y-yeah," he stutters, "okay, I will." He doubts the guy is really concerned, but the softness of his gaze makes Woohyun feel embarrassed for some strange reason. "Um, I'm just going to..." He gestures towards the set of stairs leading out of the train station. When the guy makes no move to stop him, Woohyun starts to walk away. There's still an unconscious man on the floor and he would like to be as far away as possible when he wakes up. He quickens his steps as he gets closer to the stairs, intending to leave without looking back, but ends up stopping at the guy's voice calling out to him.

The grin is back on his face, wide and probably showing off his teeth even though Woohyun can't tell from the distance. "Maybe next time I'll tell you my name."


End file.
